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ESD Glossary

A floor tile material used for the mitigation of electrostatic discharge (ESD) composed of carpet, synthetic rubber or vinyl composition. Meeting the same electrical parameters described as "conductive flooring." Conductive tiles are usually combined with conductive adhesive and grounded to either earth ground or electrical ground.

ESD Flooring: Choosing the Right Static Control ESD Flooring

An ESD Flooring Checklist

Any effective conductive or static dissipative floor can be verified with an ohm meter to determine the electrical resistance of the material. If the material does not pass the ohm meter test than it cannot be grounded.

Conductive and static dissipative flooring should never require any antistatic sprays or waxes to enhance or maintain performance. The conductivity should be achieved by the actual permanent physical composition of the material.

The floor should reduce static electricity regardless of relative humidity. Ask the supplier specifically about performance in very dry conditions.

Never assume that a shock-free environment means a static-free environment. A shock-free environment only means that static charges are below 3500 Volts.

Match the properties of your floor with the environment where it will be used. There are two main environments: End user/Mission Critical and Electronics Manufacturing and Handling EPAs.

End User – Mission Critical Environments: The floor must inhibit static buildup in real world conditions on ordinary footwear - without special conductive shoes or shoe straps. When in doubt, ask for independent test data verifying this property. It should be available. The data should come from an installed floor and not from a lab test of new flooring.

ESD Protected Areas (EPAs) in Electronics Manufacturing: Everyone inside an EPA must be grounded at all times. The floor needs to be properly matched and qualified with the special footwear that will be used in the EPA. Per ANSI/ESD S20.20: The total resistance of the floor plus the person plus the static control footwear must measure below 35 megohms (35,000,000 ohms)

Do the homework up front. It is much more costly to remove an ineffective floor and replace it than it is to do it right the first time. Any mission-critical space is only as secure as its Achilles’ heel.

Even if your present electronics are immune to static, if at some point in the future they will be upgraded or replaced with state-of-the-art equipment, then static will be a problem. As with any potential security breach, it is always best to plan ahead.

Attention ESD Flooring Specifiers:

The Construction Specifier Magazine

Electrostatic discharge can mean risks for personal safety, communication errors, and damage to expensive electronic equipment. Specifying the right floor for sensitive environments requires not only knowledge of this phenomenon, but also the available products. by Dave Long.